#worklifebalance

I wanted to share my experience working within the Belk IT department. I have been out of this position for some time, but from what I’ve learned, it hasn't changed and it has somehow gotten even worse. While store employees face their own set of challenges, the backend IT support structure is completely dysfunctional and treats its tech workers with an absolute lack of respect.

To start, the geographical territory assigned to a single IT field worker is massive and brutal, often matching the exact same coverage area as a Regional Vice President (RVP). Despite this massive responsibility, the compensation is insulting. The pay is so far below industry standards that it rivals fast-food wages. Because of the vast territory, you are forced to travel anywhere from 30 minutes to over 3 hours just to get to a location. This makes the role completely unsustainable for anyone with a family or anyone who values a healthy work-life balance.

Once you actually arrive at a store, the execution is a joke. Nine times out of ten, a field tech is forced to escalate an issue because our on-site capabilities are severely restricted. You are then left waiting for hours just to get a response from a clearly apathetic corporate support team or an offshore team that is incredibly difficult and tedious to communicate with. Furthermore, Belk’s Point of Sale (POS) systems are completely unreliable, and actual application support is virtually non-existent. As a result, the standard "fix" is to completely re-image the machine, forcing the tech to sit around waiting hours for the process to complete just so the store can finally use the register again. And don't even try to complain or share what you've noticed with your manager. They know what's up and will never care. Ever.

There is so much more dysfunction I could detail, but I want the store employees to know this. When you see an IT person walk into your building, understand that we are miserable too. The only motivation corporate provides is an empty "thank you" from someone who never even shows up to the Teams meetings. The managers shares it with us as if we are impressed by that, and as if verbal appreciation pays the bills during a time of massive inflation and a harsh economy. The only real thanks I needed was the final good riddance to this joke of a workplace.

With all of the systems issues we shouldn’t be counted for today being in office. I went home after a few hours of spinning systems.

My son was born when I had a remote job, then Covid happened and I was home all the time (he’s always been in daycare while I’ve worked, though). Now he’s in first grade and this back to office is ki-ling me because I can’t be in multiple locations at once. I get him to school at 8. We live just north of spring and on my best days, I’m still coming into the parking garage after 9am. I have a friend who helps me with carpooling from our neighborhood a couple of days a week and gets the boys to their mutual after school activities so I can meet them there but I feel like all I do is manage a commute to satisfy a rule that is not in the best interest of anyone who wants to also be present with their children. I was always very good at my job and being the mom with fully stocked cooler at the field. I look around and wonder who else is quietly dealing with this? And why aren’t we saying anything as a collective voice. I’m tired of decisions being made for me by men whose wives or nannies have made them believe this is manageable for people who are lacking coparenting support.

I would have walked away from this place ages ago if I wasn't waiting on a payout.

I keep seeing coworkers bail for jobs that pay way less. Nobody even tries to match their old salary anymore because things have become that miserable here. That's how low we have fallen.

Hearing rumors going on about this.. can anyone here 'in the know' confirm?

Our manager explained to his team leads that the only reason he still has a job is the director knows if he removed the manager he will have to manage the team leads and direct reports. The manager also shared that he owes management a breakdown of his reports workloads and knowledge transfer requirements for those workloads to overseas teams.

“The way I see it is if you want a rainbow you gotta put up with the rain” - Dolly Parton

I love how they talk about flexible schedules and quality of life at Macys. Quality of life should not include having to work EVERY FREAKING WEEKEND. Unless you use all your vacation days or promise your first born to an associate to switch with you, which is rare, you WILL WORK EVERY WEEKEND. Captains in my store get a weekend a month off. Why can't the automatic system do the same for Selling associates. Its ridiculous. I don't expect to have every weekend off but one weekend off a month would be nice. Cmon MACYS we have no air conditioning so at least give us this!!!!

If you are tired of doing the work of multiple severance or laid off employees for shrinking wages and benefits, Denmark is actively recruiting burned out American workers looking for a more humane and equitable economy where work-life balance is emphasized and employees are valued.

EastTown MSP
6am?
5am?

Every other month is a quite layoffs unless it is a big one then even more losses. Then they rehire these kids, give them scraps because they straight out of college, and expect us to train them. Nope. Other more indians with fake diplomas and degrees.

Anyone ever had their bonus be $0 due to not working the full 8 hours in office on connect weeks?

First - I am an optimist. And, yes I was impacted. Top performer, great team, but toxic and politically motivated weak leadership. I was planning to leave after the earnings call in June. They just beat me to it. Yes, lost a ton of RSUs and the Q4 payout. Financially, painful...indeed and it felt intentional and it probably was.
All said, i keep coming back to this with hopes of seeing a mass exodous of folks posting ..done, walking, better opportunity, and it simply not worth it... my health, knowledge and expertise are worth far more than hanging on to what is a false set of expectations and a mirage wiith the hope they are not next. That's a hard road.

The more people that just silently leave the louder the message.

Wishing you all peace and happiness as you pursue a better life ..its out there.

HANS . humans achieving nothing strategically

60% each month? No it's over 3 months? Which 3 months?

It’s 2:30 here at HQ. I’ve met my 40 hour requirement for the week so it’s time to head home. Man I love Summer Fridays!

Displacing individuals is too slow and not creating sufficent staff reduction.
Poor work conditions and arbitary illogical management and we-ponized metrics have failed get employees to self attrit. Leadership next phase: Build League, the foundation to start displacing entire teams of employees at once....

Everyone quit your crying 😢 about RTO and get back to the office five days a week. If the complaints don’t stop you will required to work seven days a week on 12 hour shifts. Oh and no holidays off either!

Welcome to corporate America 🇺🇸!

I left EM a little while ago to move to booming data center industry where they need capital projects people and pay better

Do some research and apply. Why not see?
Base Salary a little lower than EM but more than made up with near term cash and stock

Example. CL27/28 with 15 years experience can get you this
Base: 250k
Annual cash bonus: 20%
Stocks: $800k-$1.2M spread over next 4 years. No ridiculous 3 and 7 year waiting to get couple hundred XOM shares.
Basically $500-600k+ per year
And even know some CL 28/29 folks that are looking and can get closer to $800k all-in.

Or you can stick around and work with disrespectful people like Dan W or Carman M!
Good luck!

What the he-l is wrong with you kiss-a-s corporate boot-lickers?

Beth doesn't support families, women, disabled people, and those with extenuating circumstances with the RTO requirements that make FTO impossible. And to add insult to injury, the recent layoffs despite record stock prices and revenue...

Have some god-damn self respect for yourselves.

I have seen several capable coworkers leave over the past year and it rarely had anything to do with the work itself. Most of the frustration came from how people were spoken to or ignored by management. After a while employees stop feeling valued and start looking elsewhere. It is becoming a pattern that more people are noticing. Exxon is losing good workers it should be trying to keep.

I have worked here for over two decades and this is one of the more frustrating periods I have seen. The actual workload is manageable, but the constant politics between departments and leadership make the day feel heavier than it needs to be. We're spending more time avoiding conflict than solving problems. Most of the conversations are tense and few are comfortable speaking openly anymore. A few coworkers who used to be very engaged now barely participate unless they have to. It's exhausting, and for all the wrong reasons.

But because things are the way there are now, I feel like I have ten years ahead of me. I just want to be done with this place.

They expect you to eat, sleep, and breathe work. If you're willing to give up your evenings, your weekends, and any semblance of a personal life, you'll probably do fine. If you want to see your family or have hobbies, good luck. Is this a Cisco-wide issue? I was thinking of applying internally, but I don't want to end up in a same environment.

Another quarter another canvas for VSB candidates here in the west with no surplus ever being declared.

F you HR people. Just offer ESRO across the board.

Are people actually going to JDI day or do some people use it as a day off? I really don’t have that much interest in going, and I think my team is kinda doing whatever. Wondering if it’s abnormal to not partake or how people approach JDI day especially considering where the company is at. I’d rather have saved the money of JDI day and split the cost up as a bonus between everyone lol

This place hates you. Why would you break your own back for them? You're certainly not the one benefiting from your extra work.

The hours keep getting worse and the work keeps getting harder. The pay, though, pretty much stays the same. Who in their right mind wouldn't be tired of this cr-p?

When will this end?? I'm exhausted.

I have been gone from Boeing for less than 5 years. Not long in the grand design, but long enough to compare.

The corporate world su-ks. The type of people who make it to management in all companies su-k.

All things being the same, I'd rather work for a company that su-ks with great benefits than a company that su-ks with less than stellar benefits.

I'm going to be ripped for this, but yes, I'd go back to Boeing. Its sh---y but the 10% match in the 401k will get me out earlier and the cost of insurance is the lowest I have ever found.

I'm not going to be happy at work anywhere, so I might as well have my pockets full.

I hate that I’m on teams meetings all day glued to my desk. Love my work and position, hate being stuck at my desk to not interact with anyone in person

Guys are in our building today moving out old furniture to get things ready for the final group coming back in! Good luck in getting a spot you like. Those of us that have been coming in for TWO YEARS have taken all of the good ones. Enjoy your final days at home!

No time to think…just Go!

Are your managers encouraging or discouraging taking your half day Summer Fridays? With all the layoffs, I have more work than I can handle as it is.

It takes two or three years to really learn a job here because everything's held together with tape and nobody wants to fix anything.

Along with pretty much all of the company's institutional knowledge - both gone with all the key employees who either left or (most often) were forced out.

There is no such thing as a team here. You work in isolation and only hear from management when you messed up. Climbing past a certain point is impossible and they offer zero support for learning anything new. Do not put yourself through this. Your home life will suffer, your relationships will feel the strain, and you will need a break just to recover. Work somewhere that actually cares.

I've accepted that my time at AT&T is finite, and that the end will probably come sooner rather than later. I have to tell you, that realization's actually been freeing in a way. I don't feel the need to give any extra effort or sacrifice my evenings for a place that won't hesitate to cut me loose. Instead, now I use my working hours to look for other opportunities, to build skills that'll help me elsewhere, and to do exactly what's asked of me and nothing more. There's no point in pretending otherwise.

Polaris efficiency is really just shifting of work to a different cost center. A few examples:

1. I now spend time every pay period downloading my paystub and emailing it to myself. This used to be automated. With Lolaris I now take time to do it that I would otherwise be working.
2. Time writing now takes multiple clicks and entering in archaic codes to get to the actual timesheet where in the former program it just opened up to the timesheet immediately.

Multiply these small time wasters by thousands of employees. Where is the productivity gain?